Bucket conveyer.



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UNITED STATES .PATENT oFIIcE.

RICHARD MARTIN, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL BRIQUETTECOMPANY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORA- TION OF CALIFORNIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov.V 13, 1906.

Application filed April 16, 1906. Serial No. 311,837.

To all whom, t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD MARTIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oakland, Alameda county, State of California, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Bucket Conveyers; and I Yconveyer in which the buckets arel designed to positively dischargetheir contents by a self-clearing action independent of and supplementalto gravity, whereby they are relieved and cleansed of all material, nomatter how soft or adhesive it may be.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation ofmy bucket conveyer. Fig. 2 is a front view of one of the buckets,showing the swinging sector pro-` jected through the base to full bucketcapacity. Fig. 3 is a front view of one of the buckets, showing the faceof the base through which the sector has been withdrawn in itsself-clearing action.

The bucket consists of a swinging sector 1 and a relatively fixed base2. The sector is open at its ends, and its sides and perimeter playthrough slots 3 in the base 2 as the sector swings on its center 4,which latter is a pivot in lugs 5 on the back of the base 2. These lugs5 are best extended to form guiding-flanges 6 for the sides of thesector 1 in their movement through the slots of the base 2. The relationof the several parts is such that when the sector 1 is projected fromthe face of the base 2 until its sides are limited in the ends of theside slots in the base said sector and base form an open-mouthed cavityor bucket bounded by the base for a bottom and by the sides andperimeter of the sector for the remaining walls.

By causing the sector to withdraw from the face of the base and projectitself from the back thereof the effect is to diminish the capacity ofthe cavity or bucket until it disappears and nothing is left but theplane surface of the base on that side. It is therefore obvious that thecontents of the bucket must by this action be positively discharged andthe bucket eifectually cleared of everything under the resistantpressure and scraping of the relatively JIixed base. Now by assembling aplurality of these buckets in an endless chain or system and providingmeans for swinging the sectors 1 of thebuckets through their bases 2 aconveyer may be provided the buckets of which will be self-clearing orselfcleansing, and such conveyer may be employed for a variety of usefulwork, especially in handling soft and sticky material. Accordingly Iillustrate one form of such conveyer, which may `stand as a typeembodying the principle stated. In this conveyer, 7 .represents a framein the ends of whichare terminal sheaves or sprockets 8, to which anysuitable power may be applied. The adjacent ends of the bucket-bases 2are connected by links 9, thus furnishing the spaces for the engagementof the sprockets. Pressure to swing the sectors of the buckets isapplied at their free inner angles, where suitable antifriction-rollers10 are mounted. Regarding the right-hand end of the conveyer as that atwhich the buckets are projected and held in working position and theother end as that at which the dumping of the load is to take place, Ihave the following arrangement of tracks necessary to this end: Aroundthe right-hand sheave the track 11 is concentric with the sprocketorparallel with the line of travel of the buckets, and thence said trackcontinues from the upper side of the sprocket in a straight course, asshown at 12, still parallel with the line of travel. On these tracks 11and l2 the rollers 10 of the 'bucketsectors travel, and the location ofthe tracks is such that said sectors are held forwardly from theirbases, thus presenting the full capacity of the buckets for irstacquiring their load and, second, carrying it forward.

The track 12 terminates near the upper eX- tremity of that diameter' ofthe left-hand sprocket which is transverse to the path of travel of thebuckets, and just beyondy the plane of this diameter begins theeccentric track 18, the entrance to which is above the line of therollers 10 of the sectors, so that ICO said rollers upon leaving thetrack 12 pass within or under said track 13. The eccentricity of thistrack to the curved path of travel of the buckets is such that bypressure on the rollers 10 the sectors are gradually withdrawn from theface of their bases and swing inwardly through them to their backs. Thismovement continues as the buckets travel around the sprocket until onthe opposite side of said sprocket they are fully withdrawn, as shown.In this movement their contents must of course be forced out by theirbase and discharged. What little material may stick to the face of thebase of the bucket may be scraped off by a fixed wire 14. To bring thebucket-sectors back again to operative position, an inclined track 15starts at or about the end of track 13, and the rollers 1() pass underthis track. The track 15 inclines outwardly toward the path of travel ofthe bases, and thereby forces the sectors out again until they reachtheir outward limit, where the said track 15 may join the track 1 1. Itwill be understood that these tracks are carried by suitablesupportingdevices from the frame 7 and that in practice the sprocketsand tracks will be in pairs to equalize'the pressure on both sides ofthe buckets. Such constructive details I have not deemed it necessary toshow, as they will be readily understood.

I do not confine myself to the specific tracks here shown as a means forswinging the bucket-sectors, as other forms of tracks, cams, andpressure devices may be employed, the essential feature in this regardbeing the provision of means for operating the swinging sectors at theprop er times.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a conveyer, a bucket comprising a relatively fixed base, and aswinging sector playing through said base and adapted to be projectedfrom the face of said base to complete the bucket-cavity, and withdrawntherefrom to discharge the load.

2. In a conveyer, a bucket comprising a relatively fixed base, and aswinging sector pivoted to the back of said base and playing through thebase, whereby it may be projected from the face of the base to completethe bucket-cavity, and withdrawn therefrom to discharge the load.

3. In a conveyer, a bucket comprising a relativelyfixed base having onits back suitable lugs for a pivot and guide-flanges eX- tending fromsaid lugs, and a swinging sector pivoted to saiddugs and guided bysaidfianges, said sector playing through the base, whereby it may beprojected from the face of the base to complete the bucket-cavity, andwithdrawn therefrom t0 discharge the load.

4. A bucket conveyer consisting of a chain of pivotally-connectedbuckets, each comprising a relatively fixed base and a swinging sectorplaying through said base, means for mounting and driving said chain,and pressure devices for forcing said sectors to play through theirbases.

5. A bucket conveyer consisting of a chain of pivotally-connectedbuckets, each comprising a relatively fixed base and a swinging sectorpivoted to the back of the base and adapted to play through the base,whereby it is successively projected from the face of the base andwithdrawn therefrom, means for mounting and driving the chain, andpressure devices for forcing said sectors to play through their bases.

6. A bucket conveyer consisting of a chain of pivotally-connectedbuckets, each comprising a relatively fixed base and a swinging sectorplaying through said base, means for mounting and driving said chain,and pressure devices for forcing said sectors to play through theirbases consisting of suitablydisposed tracks upon which the sectors imine.

P 7g A bucket conveyer consisting of a chain of pivotally-connectedbuckets, each comprising a relatively fixed base and a swinging sectorpivoted to the back of the base and adapted to play through the base,whereby it is successively projected from the face of the base andwithdrawn therefrom, means for mounting and driving the chain, andpressure devices forforcing said sectors to play through their basesconsisting of suitablydisposed tracks upon which the sectors impinge.

8. vIn a conveyer, a bucket comprising a relatively fixed base, and aswinging sector playing through slotted portions of said base andadapted to be projected through said slotted portions to complete thebucket-cavity dand withdraw therefrom to discharge the loa 9. In aconveyer, a base portion having a plurality of slotted portions, and aseries of swinging bucket-sectors, one on each slotted portion of thebase, the said buckets being adapted to be projected through said slotteportions of the base to complete the bucketcavity and withdraw therefromto discharge the load.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

RICHARD MARTIN. Witnesses:

J. COMPTON, D. B. RICHARDS.

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